The moments when Mthetheleli Gxoyiya does not sing are few and far between. The 28-year-old petrol attendant, who has become an instant celebrity, stealing the hearts of thousands of motorists at the Cradock Total Service Station in the Eastern Cape, sings when he is walking, sitting in the taxi and even while he is cleaning the windscreens of his customers. "There is something inside of me that says keep singing, sing louder," said Gxoyiya. The father of one has touched the hearts of many motorists since a video of him singing opera in his red uniform, taken by a motorist, was posted onto the internet.
"I sing for our customers when I pump air into their tyres, when I fill up their petrol tanks, fill water into their engines and when I wash their windscreens. I think they enjoy it. They tip me R5 for the service and an extra R20 for the singing." Gxoyiya, whose dream is to become a professional opera singer, was born in 1988 in Cradock.
First solo
It was only when he was in Grade 8 that his cousin, Lonwabo, discovered that Gxoyiya could sing. "He was the conductor of the choir at our church, the Apostolic Church. We were rehearsing for a church social gathering and he asked me to sing a solo in all the tenor pieces in the song. "Later I started singing gospel with my brother and Lonwabo told me that I did not belong there, I belonged in choral and opera." Gxoyiya said he listened to his cousin and started focusing on music.
In 2006, Gxoyiya went back to Cradock and did his Grade 10 at JA Calata High School. "A teacher recognised that I could sing and in 2007 I was made to sing an opera composition of Mozart's Magic Flute."
Abandoned studies
He said he realised then that he was talented and never stopped singing. While he showed promise in music, Gxoyiya failed his grade 10 and 12 years. "I was good at mathematics but unfortunately my other subjects let me down." After failing his matric year, Gxoyiya sat at home until 2012 when he attempted to get a degree in electrical engineering in Queenstown. Unfortunately, she had to abandon his studies because he needed to provide financial support to his then 1-year-old daughter.
"I went back home and found a job as a petrol attendant at the Shell garage where my father was working but I was not permanent. In October 2013, the same day that I got my learner's licence, I received a phone call that they needed a petrol attendant at the Total garage." Gxoyiya said he has worked at the garage ever since.
Giving back to community
"I can't complain; everything is fine. The long hours are exhausting. I work 07:00 to 19:00 shifts." He said his weekly salary depended on how many days he worked. A four-day working week sees him take home R1 000, and if he works five days a week he earns R1300 for the week. Gxoyiya said his dream was to become a professional opera singer and give back to his community. "I want to teach children in my community about opera because in the rural areas and locations they only know about kwaito, hip hop and house music, they forget about classical music." In his free time, Gxoyiya said he helps primary schools prepare for choral competitions. So does he ever stop singing? "It's rare," he said.
News24